A big pick-up for Steele

Wayne Curry, who was Prince Georges Country Executive from 1994-2002, has endorsed Michael Steele for the U.S. Senate. Curry is a Democrat and an African-American. Prince Georges County, located just outside of Washington D.C. and containing a large middle class African-American community, has been the key to Steele’s election strategy, since it offered him the possibility of winning over many normally Democratic voters who (a) are unhappy (as Curry obviously is) with what they perceive as the Democrats’ neglect of African-Americans and/or (b) favor a local guy (Steele) over a Baltimore guy (Cardin). Five African-American members of the Prince Georges County Council joined Curry in endorsing Steele.
No less an authority than the Washington Post stated (on September 8 of this year), “The support of Curry, the county’s first black executive and a wealthy lawyer, is seen as critical because Curry remains a powerful voice for many residents who see him as a symbol of the county’s rising affluence and education level.”